Tucked In
by In Hiding
Summary: Trust takes many forms, and one of them is a lack of fanfare. A subtle exploration of friendship, of affection, of promises made and intended to be kept, of mistakes and apologies, of Rose and the Doctor, of falling in love, and of going to bed. [Rose/Ninth Doctor, Rose/Tenth Doctor. Filling in the gaps of the season one and two canon.]
1. Good Intentions

**CHARACTERS:** Rose/Nine  
**SETTING: **Takes place sometime after "Father's Day" (1x8) and before "Bad Wolf" (1x12). No significant spoilers.  
**CHAPTER SUMMARY: **We start with the Doctor's innocent mistake that sparks Rose's misery and fans her mother's fury. We end tucked in.

* * *

"I'll be back; just going to run out and grab a paper real quick."

"Desperate for a taste of current events, are we?"

"Just want to know if I need to shop the "belated" section when I pick up my mum's birthday card," Rose called with a laugh, halfway out the TARDIS door.

10 minutes later she returned with a paper and a smile. "Well done, Doctor. Right on schedule!"

He didn't blame her for double checking, as the TARDIS tended to be a bit temperamental about timing arrivals and had caused more than a bit of trouble for Rose with her mother before. He glanced over her shoulder as he walked past; she was thumbing through the entertainment section. "Looking for something in particular?"

"Yeah - show times. I missed the 4th Harry Potter while you and I have been gone. It's long out of the regular theatres by now, but when we chatted last mum said the old theatre near the Estate was playing it again and she wanted us to go."

"Ah," he said noncommittally, humming as he tinkered with the console.

"You can come with, you know. Should be a good show."

"Nah - seen it already. Seen most of 'em, actually. Didn't really fancy them."

She raised an eyebrow incredulously. "What, are you mental? Did you at least read the books?"

"For your information, Rose Tyler, I've had a wealth of literature to choose from over the years... from this planet and many others. Harry Potter wasn't exactly high on my list of must-reads."

"Oh, but they're fabulous! I suppose I'm one behind now; came out since I've been away. Maybe once the series is done I'll ask mum to get it for me. Then we'll have to take a bit of a vacation from "danger and intrigue" so I can get caught up."

"As you say." Still tinkering. "You'll be needing some money, I suppose."

It hadn't occurred to her to ask. "What's this now?" She laughed. "Am I to be a kept woman?"

"Consider it an allowance for saving the world a bit." He left the room for a moment and came back with a large roll of cash.

"I don't know how much you think a movie costs in this century..." she began.

"I figured you'd want to grab some dinner and maybe do some shopping while you're out. Plus there's that non-belated card you've got to pick up." He grinned at her, all goofy ears and dancing eyes.

She grinned back, then paused. "You sure you don't wanna come with?"

"Nah, you girls go enjoy your Potter while I putter."

"Okay. But no having any adventures without me, yeah?"

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Money in her pocket and a pack of dirty laundry on her back, she was off.

And for awhile the Doctor did putter, but if didn't take long for him to get the "itch" - not for the adventure he'd been banned from until her return, but for her return itself. He'd grown rather unaccustomed to being without her. It also didn't take long for him to think of a way to fill some time. And since he didn't plan for it to be very adventurous, he thought she wouldn't mind if he just popped forward a few years and then came right back.

He set his return to night, not wanting to have to wait. They should have been back from the movies by then. The Doctor locked the TARDIS and whistled as he walked through the dark alley, then sang. It was a good day. A good night. And Rose would love what he'd done when she found out.

He was still singing as he knocked on the door. "Happy birthday, lovely Jackie!" he said with a little bow, producing a grand bouquet from behind his back with a flourish.

He wasn't sure exactly what kind of response he had expected; he knew full well that at least a part of Jackie hated him for taking her daughter from her. But her frown and her venom were definitely undampened by his tone and his gift. And the stinging slap was a bit of a shock.

"Bit late on that one, don't you think?"

His eyes narrowed as he brought a hand to his face. "Beg pardon?"

"Best be saving those flowers for Rose. Though I doubt they'll do you much good."

He was lost. He stepped through the door when she reluctantly moved aside to let him pass. "She's in her room. I've half a mind to tell you to turn around and never come back, but the way she's carrying on..."

He followed her through the apartment and let her push open the door. Rose was laying on her bed, facing away from him. And she was sobbing nearly uncontrollably.

"Good heavens!" the Doctor exclaimed. "What on earth is the matter?"

Rose didn't respond. She hadn't heard him over the music blasting in her headphones. For awhile it had distracted her, but then on had come a song that reminded her of him, and she was back to this again.

"She's been like this for the full three weeks. Inconsolable. I hope you're quite pleased with yourself."

"Three weeks? Oh, bloody hell." He dropped the flowers on the bed and sat down beside them, putting a tentative hand on her shoulder, sliding it down to her back.

"I'm fine, mum," she snuffed, completely unconvincing. "Really. Just go to bed. Sorry I woke you."

He tugged out one earphone, gently. "Rose..."

The room lit only by the light coming from the hall, the worst of it was hidden from him. But as she bolted upright and whipped around to face him, he could still make out the tear stains, the puffy eyes. And the anger. He should have been ready for this slap, but even if he had been, he would have let her land it. He did deserve it, after all.

He barely had time to register the sting before she freed herself from the covers and threw herself at him. He held her close, settled her on his lap, whispered "I'm so sorry" over and over.

It didn't take long for the tears to stop. Despite her mother's continuous re-hydration efforts, Rose had few tears left. "You went away," she said quietly, pitifully. "I thought you'd left me behind."

The Doctor was rather dumbstruck. He'd assumed she'd thought he'd gotten himself into some trouble. It hadn't occurred to him she'd ever think he'd just abandon her. His reply was a little rawer, a little fiercer, than he intended. But it was real. "Rose Tyler, I will never leave you behind." He paused. "I just -"

"No, wait." She grabbed a new tissue and swiped at her nose, her eyes. Like a child. "Just wait."

"What?"

A deep, steadying breath. A loud exhale. "Say it again."

"What, now?"

"Just - " A frustrated noise. "Just, say it again."

"I will never leave you behind?"

"Yes." Obviously feeling sheepish now. But pressing on. "Again."

He grinned, kissed her forehead. "I will never -" kissed her cheek "- ever -" kissed the tip of her nose "- leave you behind." Pressed his lips to hers, briefly, chastely, invoking a smile. "But as I've just proven, I may occasionally be a little late."

Jackie, still in the doorway, cleared her throat. "I'll, ah - I'll make us some tea."

"That would be fantastic, Jackie. Thank you," the Doctor said, not turning, not caring.

Rose barely heard her. It didn't matter. The Doctor was back. He hadn't left her. She shifted to her knees, wrapped her arms around him proper, her chin on his shoulder. "Those flowers for me?" she asked rather glibly, and she could feel her spirit returning.

"They were meant for your mum. I WAS hoping to win some points with them."

"Yeah. Didn't work out for you, I imagine."

There she was. He grinned again, excited now for what he'd done. "I did get you a gift, though. It's back on the TARDIS. That's actually the reason I popped out; it wasn't something I could pick up here."

"Really?" She sat back down, extricated herself from him, knowing she must look a fright but refusing to care, trusting the darkness. "And it took you three weeks?"

"Well, no. It took me about three hours, if you count the wrapping and the stop at the flower shop and the bit of dawdling built in. But I intended to be back in time to meet you for chips after the movie. How was it, by the way?"

"Brilliant," she said offhandedly. "So, what? You got attacked by the Slitheen and held captive and only just now broke away?"

"Why, that's exactly right. So I'm forgiven?"

She rolled her eyes. "You would be if you weren't a bloody Time Lord travelling in a TIME MACHINE."

"I'm afraid it all boils down to technical difficulties," he admitted, hoping his sincerity offset the ridiculousness of the mistake. "I set the return for the night I dropped you off. The TARDIS apparently had other ideas. As you well know, she tends to do that."

"You should have ran out and got a paper," she said calmly, helpfully.

"We'll consider that policy from now on." And they both dissolved into laughter, equally relieved but for very different reasons.

Jackie knocked softly, though had been hanging round long enough to hear his explanation. "Tea's on." She reached for the light, but Rose asked her to stop.

"How about I get cleaned up before anyone need behold my beauty beneath the harsh fluorescents." Oh, yes. Her spirit was definitely returning. "Let me grab a shower and I'll be right out to join you." With that, she fled the room.

The Doctor's departure was much slower and reluctant. He didn't begrudge Rose the chance to put herself to rights, but to be left alone with her angry mother over tea was more troubling to him in that moment than the prospect of a Dalek army invasion.

"I suppose all's forgiven then," Jackie began as soon as he came into view, gesturing to the tea pot and handing him a mug.

"I suppose," he answered neutrally, knowing better than to offer excuse.

She turned her back on him, picking up the phone. "Ordering my daughter some chips. I suppose you'll want some."

"I suppose," he said again, pouring, not liking the way she stressed "my daughter".

She'd barely hung up when she took aim with both barrels. "You near broke her heart, you get that, yeah? And she may buy into your little speeches, but she's still a little girl and her heart hasn't been broke enough yet to know that a man's promise of "never" and "forever" don't mean a bloody thing."

"Jackie - "

"Don't you dare "Jackie" me, you! She's still a child and you're a grown man with no business making her promises." She ignored the cup he'd prepared for her and pressed past him, the "follow me" clear enough. He abandoned his tea and trailed behind as she strode to Rose's room and began removing the signs of the girl's anguish - collecting used tissues, filling the laundry basket with discarded clothes from the floor, stripping the bed and making him help put the new sheets in place. All the while, her tirade continued. She went on and on about how he had no business making promises, no business putting her in danger, no business ever asking her to follow him. Finally let him have it about the time he'd returned Rose a year late, poured out all her anger and anguished she'd felt when she thought Rose was missing or worse, livid that he would then put Rose though the very same. He was given no opportunity to defend, and he wouldn't have taken one anyway. Best to let her get it out. And in many ways he owed it to her.

Eventually, she ran out of breath, out of words, out of steam. "Where's my tea?" she inquired absently.

"I'll fix it you a fresh cup." And he did, as she sat heavily in a living room chair. The task done, he handed her the mug and sat across from her, sensing that it was now his turn. "Jackie, I'm sorry." He surprised himself by saying it, and even more by meaning it. "I don't know what else I can say. I'm just... so, so sorry."

She looked up with a heavy sigh. "I believe you. And I believe you care for her. And if I didn't know that she cared for you, after seeing her these last weeks I could never doubt it." A sip, a beat. "And I know there's nothing I can do. She's a little girl, but she's not. She knows her mind, and she won't let me change it." The fury had left. Now came the hint of tears. "So what's a mother to do, eh Doctor? When her only daughter is traipsing around all time and space with an alien in a tiny wooden box?"

"It's bigger on the inside," he supplied evenly.

"Yes, 'tis." Another sigh. "So what am I to do?" They sat in silence for a long moment as both reflected on the unanswerable question, until the doorbell interrupted. "That'll be the chips."

"Let me." He was already on his feet, fishing money out of his pocket, left over from his shopping excursion. He paid the delivery boy and added a hefty tip, then brought the greasy paper bag into the kitchen and divided up the spoils into three. She met him there and dug in the fridge for the ketchup, took it and a plate to the table. He joined her.

Rose was walking through the living room in a towel and popped her head in, drawn by the smell. "Oh, did you order chips? That's brilliant! Just give me a sec."

"Well, that ought to get her here quick enough. Otherwise she'd have been another hour getting all dolled up for you."

"Nah," he denied, mouth full. "I think we're beyond that."

"Maybe." She was picking at her food. "So you'll be taking off tonight, I guess." She avoid his eyes, kept her tone light, and he heard the defeat there.

"There's no rush. I'm in no hurry." A small lie.

"Well, I expect Rose will be anxious to get back on the road, so to speak."

"Yes, I expect she will. But we'll chat about it after a good night's sleep." He reached across the table and touched her arm briefly. "We can all chat about it. And we'll chat about plans for Christmas, too."

She recognized what he offered as what it was: the consolation prize. But now that she'd expressed all her anger, she was resigned to accept it in good faith.

Rose returned then, wearing a worn bathrobe and her wet hair clipped high on her head. And while her mother could still see the evidence of her three weeks of breakdown, she could also see that life had returned. She was light, alert, and - bless her - happy. She lit into her chips like she hadn't eaten in days (and for all intents and purposes, she really hadn't).

"So what have you two been going on about?"

"Not a thing, my love," her mother answered with a sad smile, and pushed the remainder of her chips onto Rose's plate. "That's it for me. I'll leave you to it." She kissed the top of Rose's head, squeezed the Doctor's arm before bringing her plate to the sink. "I'll put out some things for you, Doctor, if you want to make up the couch."

"That's not necessary, Jackie, but thanks." He smiled at her, warmly, trying to communicate much more. "I'll probably make my way to the TARDIS for the night."

"You'll do no such thing!" Rose exclaimed. "I'm not letting you out of my sight!" She grinned brightly. "I'll get him sorted out, mum. Not to worry."

"I've no doubt of that. Good night to you both."

"So what did you really talk about?" Rose asked, leaning in and lowering her voice. "Did she give it to you?"

"No," he lied. "But we may have reached a bit of an understanding. Or, I should say, she kind of reached it on her own."

She looked at him curiously, trying to interpret, but chose to say nothing. She was just happy he was there.

They made quick work of the food, and then she took him by the hand and led him back to her room. "Now, if I let you go to the TARDIS to grab a bag, you won't get it in your head to pop out to the 29th Century for a pack of smokes or the like, now, will you?" She was at the mirror trying to deal with her hair, and her reflection smiled at him.

"Seriously, Rose, you know I don't sleep much. And the prospect of a night NOT sleeping on your couch is not that appealing. I'd rather be in my own bed."

"Well, you'll just have to settle for mine," she declared easily, with no hint of humour now. "I meant what I said. Consider yourself on a short leash for the time being."

"Yes, I'll just hop in with you, then. Your mum will LOVE that."

"I thought you'd reached an understanding."

"I don't think I need to tell you no amount of understanding will cover THAT." She gestured for him to turn so she could dress, and he did so.

"Then you'll just have to be up before she is." He heard drawers open, the rustling of clothes. "This is not a negotiation, so you may as well just surrender."

He was rather taken aback by her forcefulness, but he preferred it over the anger he deserved. He couldn't let the opportunity to tease a bit escape him, however. "Fine, fine, you win. But no funny business, hear? And no talking my ear off all night, either, regaling me of all your adventures from my absence."

She made a noise. "Right. Well, that would be a rather short regaling, so you needn't worry about that. And I decided in the shower I'm still too angry at you for any business of the "funny" variety to even be considered." She touched his shoulder to indicate it was safe for him to turn.

She was met with a wry grin. "So you were thinking about funny business in the shower, were you?"

She didn't bite. "Go pack a bag. Jim-jams, toothbrush, and my gift if you can carry it. Back in 10 minutes or I sound the alarm." She pointed to the door with authority. "Now get."

With a jaunty salute, he did as she asked, excited for the big reveal. Though he took extra time in the TARDIS to prepare for bed, packing instead his clothes for the next day.

"You, sir, are late," she accused when he returned, but the sight of the brightly wrapped package distracted her, as he knew it would. She was already in bed, under the covers, lights off except the one on her bedside table. Her choice of sleepwear - flannel and buttons and long sleeves, when in the TARDIS she often ran around in tiny tank tops and short shorts before bed - affirmed his feeling that her invitation, her demand, that he spend the night was nothing but what she said it was: a way to keep him close quarters after what for her was a long and dreadful absence. It was strange to have been missed so fiercely when for him time hadn't really passed.

He reflected on this for only a moment as he crossed the room to hand her the gift, watched her rip into the paper with delight. Delight over the gift, but more delight that he was there. Strange, yes, but it felt good.

"Oh, you didn't!"

"Ah, but I did!" He stepped out of his robe, climbed in next to her, accepted the smacking kiss on his cheek. "Are you pleased, then?"

"Well, I wouldn't say it was worth what you put me through," she said pointedly. "But that aside, I'd say you did very well, Doctor. Considering this last one hasn't even been published yet!"

He grinned and selected the first book from the set, gestured that she should pile the rest on the table beside her. "And I thought, since you were so insistent of their merit, that perhaps we might read them together."

This apparently was the best possible thing he could have suggested, as from the corner of his eye he saw her get misty about it. But when she answered, she answered as she always did, a mixture of fun and pure affection.

"I do think I'd rather enjoy that, Doctor. But no doing the voices, yeah? You could probably pull off Potter, but your Hermoine would be lacking."

"I think I could manage a fair Voldemort," he suggested, but was cut off with an elbow to the ribs.

""He who must not be named"!" she insisted. "Let's be reasonable!"

"When have you known me to be unreasonable?" he questioned as he settled back and tucked her under his arm, against his chest, and opened the book.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that. You've forbidden me to talk your ear off all night."

"Oh, you cheeky thing." And, after pressing his lips to the crown of her head, he began to read, reading until she had fallen asleep, warm and settled. He had thought about sneaking out, but felt he owed her to stay. And long after he had turned out the light, he found himself once again considering what all this meant, what he had done to this child, this WOMAN, to this family. What could be done to stop it, if he was so inclined.

But she would not be dissuaded, he knew. Neither he nor Jackie nor likely any being in the Universe, now or ever, could have talked her out of making her way back to the TARDIS in the morning, back to their life of adventure. Back to their life together. And for as much as he didn't like to think about it, one wrong move from either of them could make each adventure her last. Jackie had once cornered him, asked him straight out if Rose was safe, if he could keep her safe. And he hadn't answered, for good reason. They'd been on the brink so many times already. Though Rose was careful to sanitize her reports to her mother of what they'd been up to, she couldn't fully disguise the danger without not reporting at all. No wonder that poor woman was beside herself with worry, laying into him like he was the big bad wolf preying on her only child.

What he refused to reflect on was how devastated Rose had been when she thought he'd gone. He could have chalked it up to her mourning the adventures, being forced to return to the normalcy of her life here. And maybe he would have. Had he not refused to reflect.

What he knew, plainly and clearly, was that he wanted her with him. And that even if his new-found compassion for Jackie's pain or his own well-buried pangs of worry that some day he may not be able to protect her were enough to cut her loose, he knew the only way to do so was drop her off and disappear, this time for real.

But he had promised to never leave her behind. And despite Jackie's convictions about men and "never" and "forever", this was one promise he fully intended to keep.

**A/N: My first fic in this fandom. Please review.**


	2. Q & A

**CHARACTERS:** Rose/Nine  
**SETTING: **Takes place just after "Father's Day" (1x8). Contains spoilers.  
**CHAPTER SUMMARY: **After losing her father once again and nearly destroying humanity, Rose has a lot of questions.

* * *

That wasn't the first time they had shared a bed.

After the Doctor had whisked Rose away from the lifeless body of her father before her mother or anyone else could see her face, she seemed to withdraw into herself, answering his concern for her well-being with hollow words and blank nods. He held tightly to her hand but her fingers didn't return the pressure as she allowed herself to be pulled along.

When they reached the TARDIS, he tried to probe further but was again shut down. He tried to take care of her, but she waved off his suggestions. He tried to embrace her but she stepped back. "I just need to be by myself for a bit," she said finally, firmly, sounding more exhausted then he had ever heard her. "Need to work things out in my head."

"I can help with that," he assured her. He felt guilty, responsible for allowing her to be put in that position to begin with. He should have said "no" to her first request to go back. This was all his fault. His problem. So he felt compelled to be a part of the solution.

She gave him a weary smile, her eyes watering, her voice catching slightly. "Need to have a bit of a breakdown as well, I think," she admitted, a little nervous to say it aloud. Part of her had always felt that to admit weakness would make her less desirable as a travelling companion. And as such she never did, always pushing through, pressing on. She's succeeded admirably, she thought. Until now.

"I'd say you're entitled. But I can help with that, too." He stepped toward her again, wanting to comfort her, but again she stepped away, her hands in front of her as though to ward him off. "Rose..."

"I just... I just need some time." She was pleading with him now. The part of her that was grieving her father anew wanted nothing more than to take him up on his offer. It was her own guilt, her own feeling of responsibility for nearly ending the world, her shame and embarrassment, that was keeping her from doing so.

He didn't understand, but he let her go. "Time is something we have quite much of," he remarked lightly to hide his hurt. "So you can take all of it that you need."

She nodded and started to turn, the tears already falling. But before she fled she looked at him one last time. "Can I come find you? Later?"

He was relieved by the request. "Yeah. Of course." And then she was gone.

The Doctor directed the TARDIS to a neutral point in space and time, then set about trying to be productive while he waited for Rose to come looking for him. He ate, though he had no appetite. He read, though his mind kept wandering. He berated himself, though that was nothing new; it simply hadn't happened as much of late, because somehow she'd managed to give him happier things to think about. And finally he resorted to sleep.

The flow of life had been erratic with Rose in the beginning; she was so young and energetic, but would also overextend herself out of excitement and then crash for long hours to recover. At first he rather resented being held back by her fondness for sleeping in, as though time was being wasted. But after attempting a few adventures while she was dead to the world, he realized it mostly made him sad, like going to the movies by yourself or eating alone at a restaurant. Some things were just better shared. "Better with two."

And so while his species didn't require near the same amount of sleep as humans, he eventually started to adopt her schedule. Rarely actually sleeping, of course, but often resting while she rested. Reading a lot, tinkering, recreating. But also daydreaming, journaling, remembering, reflecting. It had been awhile since he would have allowed himself to stop long enough to do these things, since his mind and hearts could take it, but having her here changed things for him, little by little. Changed HIM. Made it easier to be alone with his thoughts. Made it better, all of it.

But tonight he just wanted to wait for her. He took a long shower, dawdled over his "nightly" routine, dressed himself in comfortable pajamas. He climbed into his bed, leaving his door wide open for her, and tried to close his eyes.

Apparently he'd actually managed to nod off. It was the chewing that eventually woke him. She was sitting cross-legged atop his covers, crunching a sugary cereal that he'd laid in a supply of just for her. Her hair was pulled back, her face scrubbed free of make-up, and her body clad in a baggy t-shirt and sweats. The light from outside his open door was enough for him to see that some life had returned to her eyes.

Seeing her like this, looking so very young, made him feel ancient beside her. And yet her care and affection for him always made him feel hundreds of years less than his actual age.

If she felt bad for rousing him, she didn't show it. "Hey," she acknowledged quietly when she noticed him watching her.

"Hey." He didn't move, was almost scared to breathe, as though he might spook her. "I was wondering if you'd fallen asleep."

"Nah,"she replied. "Just had a lot of thinking to do." More chewing. She looked a bit relaxed now, though it was obvious the weight of the almost-destroyed-world had not left her shoulders.

"All thinked out now, are you?"

"Not hardly." And then she went on to prove it.

While Rose had a rather insatiable curiosity, it had been to her favour that she'd managed to suspend her need for understanding everything early in their time together. It wasn't that she accepted that there was no way for her to grasp it all; she was just having so much fun and adventure that being stuck out of the loop wasn't something she had a lot of time to dwell on.

But now all of her old questions were back, along with a host of new ones, and no longer hanging about in the theoretical. She had nearly ended the world after all, and so it seemed more than prudent to her than ever before that she be given a lesson on the ins and outs of intruding in your own timeline, the potential for paradoxes, and the like.

While this conversation started in his bedroom, it continued back to the kitchen where she poured herself some more cereal and they both had a cup of tea. Then to her library - she found his too large and intimidating, so the TARDIS had been kind enough to give her something much smaller and filled with books more to her liking - which she always claimed had the best sofa. Then to her washroom where they cleaned their teeth side by side and continued to question and answer through mouthfuls of paste. (There was better technology in the universe for dental hygiene, of course, but Rose found comfort in what she was used to and the Doctor enjoyed the classics.) But when he headed back to his room, she hesitated at the door, watching him slip under his covers.

"You're going back to sleep, yeah?" The disappointment in her voice was not masked.

He adjusted the lighting and gave her a warm, affectionate smile. "You know I don't sleep. Let's carry on, then."

And so she assumed her previous position, cross-legged facing him, until her questions moved from the more technical to the personal, and through them she found herself revealing the depth of her emotions about meeting and losing her father. When he felt the change, he had patted the place beside him and she gratefully allowed herself to be tucked in.

She didn't cry, and they didn't embrace, or even really touch. But as he could hear her fading even as she fought to stay awake so she could get all this out, he cut the lights and they lay facing each other, very close, breath mingling, a quiet intimacy settling around them.

"I really am sorry." He had wondered when she'd get to that, knowing it must have been underlying all the rest.

He was glad that in the dark she could no longer see his eyes well enough to interpret what must have appeared there. "Rose Tyler, I am going to accept your apology once more because I know that's what you need," he said seriously. "But now I don't want you to give it another thought. I brought you there without preparing you. You couldn't have understood the consequences, and you couldn't have known what being there would do to you."

"Doctor - " she began, but he cut her off.

"But I should have known better. I was reckless, and *I'm* sorry I put you in that position."

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say. "You sound like my dad; he told me it was his job to take the blame." She made a frustrated noise and rolled onto her back. "You shouldn't have to clean up my messes, and you definitely shouldn't have to take responsibility for them. I'm not a kid, you know. And I'm certainly not *your* kid."

Her last statement carried significantly more meaning then the rest, but he wisely decided that being in his bed when they were both feeling a bit raw and unguarded made it the wrong time to try to unpack that meaning.

"This isn't about age," he said finally. "I'm a Time Lord, and along with that comes a great responsibility that I maybe haven't been keeping in focus like I should." That was a substantial understatement. He smiled in the dark. "Maybe I've been finding it a little difficult to say "no" to you of late."

He could hear in her voice that she was smiling back. "Falling victim to my feminine wiles and irresistible charm, no doubt."

"Or your incessant nagging," he offered, and got a pillow across his face. They both laughed, then fell silent for a long time.

Just when he was sure she had fallen asleep, Rose spoke again. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For cleaning up my mess. For saving the world, again."

"Nah. Your dad did it all."

"But you -"

"But I nothing. He figured it out, he made the choice, and he did what needed to be done. Your dad is a hero, Rose Tyler." He reached for her and found her hand atop the covers where it rested by her side, curling his fingers around hers. "That must be where you get it from."

She didn't reply, and he sensed that she was trying not to get emotional again. She pulled his hand over her stomach and grasped it in both of hers. "Thank you," she finally repeated, and he understood.

She slept, and he stayed for a long time, just listening to her breathe.


	3. Pass or Fail

**CHARACTERS:** Rose/Ten  
**SETTING: **Takes place during "The Christmas Invasion" (2x1) the night before they depart from London.  
**CHAPTER SUMMARY: **The Doctor, newly regenerated, is tested by both Tyler women.

* * *

"Do you still love my daughter?"

Jackie had stopped the Doctor on his way out the door, headed back to the TARDIS where he meant to get some sleep, to give Rose another night at home and see if he couldn't get more normalized after his regeneration-gone-wrong.

"Jackie…"

"I'm not meaning to meddle," she said honestly. "But if this is the way things always are for you - all danger and aliens and killer Christmas trees and the like - then I need to know."

The Doctor fell silent; while his brain could generally manage all kinds of complex thoughts, he was having trouble determining the best way to address her question and concern. "It's complicated," was all he could come up with.

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm not asking your intentions, now, and I'm not asking you to make a commitment or give me the gory details. I just know how HE felt about her. The other you. But you've changed your face. Have you changed your feelings?"

There was no point in trying to explain to Jackie the ins and outs of regeneration, how he was still himself but not, how nothing was different but everything was different. Even if he could explain it, he knew that it wasn't what she really wanted to know.

"The way I feel about Rose has not changed," he said firmly, finally. "I can promise you that, Jackie Tyler. I may not be completely sure yet who I am, but I know who she is."

She looked down then, and the Doctor wondered if he was about to get slapped or otherwise laid into. But when she glanced up again her eyes were full of tears. A shaky breath and a shaky smile let the Doctor know he'd answered just right. "To bed with you then." And with that, she dismissed him.

And to bed he went. It was always a new experience, regeneration. This time, he was exhausted and wired all at once. His pajamas no longer fit, and after a half hour of fidgeting it bothered him enough to send him searching for others.

When he returned to him room, Rose was there, atop his covers with book in hand. "A chapter or two to help you get to sleep?" she suggested casually.

He was beyond pleased to see her, and put a hand on the wall of the TARDIS to show he approved; the TARDIS tended to play tricks, after all, and his room wasn't always the easiest to find for anyone but him. Not that Rose ever seemed to have much trouble; she just didn't often look.

With a big grin – a new grin with new teeth – he bounded over and hopped up next to her. "I think you'll like my reading voice," he offered, taking the book from her, sitting as close as he could without being TOO close. "It seems more distinguished. Do you think I'm more distinguished?"

"I think you're a nutter," she said with a laugh, but he caught her looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"You can look, Rose," he told her, tone more serious now. "Really. I'd rather you did." He'd caught her peeking at him all through dinner. He could only imagine how disconcerting it all must be for her.

She blushed, just slightly, eyes to her lap. "I'm not here to look. I'm here to listen. Lots of time for looking."

"A lifetime, at least." He knew her well enough to know there was more to this then his new face. They hadn't had a chance yet to talk about all that had happened _before_ his regeneration. Not that they were much for talking, not like that. It had always been easier for him to keep moving, on to the next adventure, and she'd settled easily enough into that pattern. But for her sake, he knew some things would need to be said. "I'm here to listen too, you know," he told her meaningfully, and she understood.

"Lots of time for that, too." She nudged him. "Let's get you tucked in. I'm not here to keep you up."

He obliged her by scooting back and slipping under the covers, happy not to push her. He opened the book to the chapter bookmarked with a picture of them… well, more or less. He saw her notice and watched to see how she would react, instead finding her non-reaction hard to interpret.

"Maybe I'd better do the reading, then. So you can just nod off."

He handed the book back to her agreeably and closed his eyes, but when she started in they flew open again. "Um… read that bit already," he interrupted. "Last time." And when she beamed down at him he realized he'd just been tested. And passed.

"Just checking." And flipping ahead a chapter, she read him to sleep.


	4. Gifts

**CHARACTERS:** Rose/Nine  
**SETTING: **Takes place immediately after "The Unquiet Dead" (1x3).

**CHAPTER SUMMARY: **Rose gets tired.

* * *

"So, where to next?" the Doctor asked Rose when she returned from changing back into her regular clothes.

"Doctor, don't you ever sleep?"

Rose had fought with living plastic, been present at the end of the World, and kissed Charles Dickens. Aliens and ghosts, space travel and time travel, all in the span of... How long had it even been? She was feeling disoriented. Lightheaded.

Exhausted. The Doctor realized it even before she did, and found himself annoyed by it. "You lot, wasting away your time in bed. No wonder it took you so long to get anything done."

"You should be glad of it. We "stupid apes" would've taken over the whole universe by now if we hadn't had to stop for tea and sleep." She grinned cutely at him, but was leaning heavily on the TARDIS console. Adrenaline had sustained her, but now that she had stopped to catch her breath, she could feel her body crashing.

"I'll pop you home, then. You can check in with your mum and get some rest." The Doctor reached around her to flick a switch but she diverted him, grabbing his hand and hanging on.

"What, no beds on this thing?" she challenged. "A place as huge as this, and nowhere I could lay down to get a few hours of shut eye? Surely YOU must have a room somewhere."

"Somewhere," he conceded noncommittally. "But don't you want to go home, see your mum?"

"I suppose, yeah," she said honestly. "But I'd much rather do that AFTER I've gotten some sleep, if you wouldn't mind." What she didn't want to tell him, what she would have felt embarrassed to admit or afraid of putting thoughts in his head, was that she didn't want to leave the TARDIS without him. Because she was scared if he dropped her off he might not come back. Or that he might pop off for an adventure on his own and realize he didn't want a sidekick slowing him down after all.

"Well... I s'pose we'll have to get you settled eventually. Guess now's as good a time as any." He tugged her by the hand she was still holding, feeling her squeeze his fingers when he said the word "settled" but not quite catching that he'd said just the right thing to calm some of her fears. "You want the tour first?"

"Umm..." Truthfully, she was dying to explore this magical box that she'd determined was to be her home. But she would need to get it through her head that she rather literally had all the time in the world. "Let's leave that to when I'm awake enough to enjoy it, yeah?"

"Okay." Upstairs, downstairs, down a hall, around a bend. Then he paused outside a closed door. "This one might do."

"Not too sure?" she questioned, confused by his lack of confidence. Perhaps it was just such a big place he couldn't remember where everything was, she surmised.

He didn't answer, instead dropping her hand to open the door.

It was nice. Feminine without being childish. Comfortable and clean. He put a hand on the door jam, and the TARDIS hummed. "She likes you," he commented, mostly to himself.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing," he dismissed her quickly. "This room okay?"

"Yeah, but - " She had so many questions about why such a room was here, and why it was so well preserved. She didn't know it had never been used in this incarnation before, that it really was FOR HER.

It would be a long time before she would find out; he knew well that this was not the time for such conversations. "I'll show you the other essentials, then. Pay attention; if you get lost I may not hear you if you yell."

He showed her a bathroom ("One of many.") and the kitchen ("In case you need a bedtime snack."), and offered to show her to the wardrobe again but she insisted she could find her way, then back to the door of her room. "Got it?"

"Got it."

"I'll be off then," he told her, and he was. Not exactly the perfect host, but she forgave him because it was how she liked it. She didn't interpret it as rudeness or lack of caring, but moreso as "make yourself at home".

She never did find the wardrobe; she could swear it had moved. But the bathroom was well stocked, including a robe which she slipped on over her t-shirt and knickers, leaving the rest of her clothes folded on the counter for tomorrow. Relieved and cleaned up a bit, she returned to her room and shedding the robe climbed into bed. Her bed. And as she started to really consider that this could be her life now, the adrenaline ramped up a bit again.

Back into her robe, she padded barefoot around a bend, down a hall, upstairs, downstairs.

"Seriously, though. Don't you sleep?"

He was under the console in the control room, his legs sticking out.

"Don't you?" he answered back. "I thought that was the point."

"Headed there, I promise. Just curious, is all." she paused. "About a lot of things. Mind's kinda busy."

He stopped what he was doing, came out from under the console, accepted her hand to help him up, didn't let go. "I'll never be able to explain it all. You know that, right? It's a big universe, and you'll never understand. Not even a fraction. Your brain couldn't hold it all, couldn't come close." He wasn't being condescending, not in the least, and his voice made his intention clear. As he spoke, her excitement grew, bringing a flush of happiness to her face. What an adventure lay before her. What a gift. She dropped his hand and grasped his arm instead. "But you won't make it very far into this big old universe if you don't get some sleep. So let's get you to bed."

She leaned on him heavily as he led her back to her room, but not entirely out of necessity. She was so grateful, and her exhaustion made her feel rather sentimental about it. She finally released him to climb into bed, handing him her robe only after she was safely under the covers.

"Couldn't find the wardrobe again, could you?" he said with a grin, hanging it on the bedpost.

"Just you wait," she challenged. "Give me a day or two and I'll have your magic box all figured out."

"Good luck with that. She still surprises me all the time." He adjusted the blankets, tucking them up to her chin, not quite tender, but not disengaged either. "You'll be alright then?"

"I expect." She yawned then. "I'll find you in the morning. Though I suppose it won't be morning, will it? Not really." She thought for a moment, then laughed. "This whole thing is just mental. I'm going to need a whole new vocabulary just to describe how time is passing."

"Go to sleep, Rose Tyler. We'll get started on your vocabulary soon enough." He headed to the door, turning out the light on the way.

"What will you do, while I sleep?" she called after him.

"Who's to say? Read a book or two. Take a swim, maybe."

"There's a SWIMMING POOL?!"

"Good night, Rose," he said firmly, closing the door behind him. Her excitement had infected him. As he shuffled off to find something to occupy him while she slept, he realized he wasn't annoyed anymore.

She wasn't the only one who had been given a gift.


	5. Kids

**CHARACTERS:** Rose/Ten  
**SETTING: **Takes place sometime between "Tooth and Claw" (2x2) and "School Reunion" (2x3).

**CHAPTER SUMMARY: **The Doctor asks an unexpected question.

* * *

"Do you want kids, Rose?"

The thought had never occurred to the Doctor until this day, having watched her surrounded by the Zaleizes'n children as they moved through the town, all of them wanting to hold her hand, touch her skin or her hair. Having watched her essentially hold court with them, being so generous with her time and attention. Tiny bodies pressing in, drinking in her warmth. Little hands offering drawings and trinkets for her to remember them by. Seeing her love every minute of it, returning to the TARDIS all-smiles, humming, chattering happily about the experience, bringing her collection of gifts right to her room as he followed and beginning to arrange them on walls and surfaces. Not stopping even when he asked the unexpected question.

"Kids?!" she repeated incredulously, laughing at the thought. "What on earth would we do with kids, then?!" She was rummaging through a drawer, looking for more tacks. "First of all, can you just picture it? Me as big as a house chasing you around all time and space? And you'd expect me to stay aboard the TARDIS until he's old enough to run, I bet. Or maybe we'd bring my mum aboard to be the nanny. You'd LOVE that!" She slid the drawer shut. "I think I'm out of tacks."

Finally she took the time to really look at him. He sat crosslegged on her bed with a rather stunned and bemused expression on his face. "What?" After a moment of consideration, she inhaled sharply. "Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking..." Then she was beside him, her legs over the side of the bed, her arm looped through his, leaning into him, speaking sincerely. "I suppose, what with you being the last... Having kids is probably important to you, yeah? Like, continuing on the race or whatever. Though would HALF a Time Lord still be a Time Lord? Enough of one, I mean." She searched his face, misinterpreting his lack of response. "Plus, COULD we even? Like, genetically speaking? I mean, I know you LOOK like a human, but..."

The Doctor dropped his head then, and after a moment his shoulders began to shake. Rose felt horrible and pressed in close, trying to comfort him... until she realized he was laughing. "What the hell!" She shoved him, nearly off the bed, and when he just kept laughing she shoved him again and turned bright red. "What?" She couldn't help it, though; she was laughing now, too. "Seriously! What did I miss?"

"That wasn't meant to be a proposition!" he huffed out. He was laughing so hard it hurt.

"I KNOW that, you nutter," she spat back, returning to the dresser where the TARDIS had seen fit to supply some more tacks for her use. She didn't want him to see how embarrassed she was. She was still laughing, though. It really was rather funny.

"It was just a general question! Like, did you ever want to have kids when you were growing up?"

"Well that's all well and good, but who else am I going to be having kids with?" She stuck her tongue out at him and then finished her task while he caught his breath.

"I'm sorry, Rose," he said finally, grinning ear to ear, turning away from her when he saw her pull pajamas from the drawer. "Sometimes you are just so adorable I can't help myself."

"Oh, I'll give you 'adorable', Mister. Just you wait. When you least expect it." And then she went on to deliver on that threat, though not in the way she'd intended. When he turned back to her she was all fleece and cotton and messy pony-tailed and cute. "I'm hungry. Book and tea, yeah?"

They'd already read a lot that day; the whole point of going planet-side was that he had promised big, beautiful, shady trees to sit under, warm breezes and minimal insect activity: perfect outdoor reading weather. He'd found a proper picnic basket and they'd landed just outside of town so they could fill it with some local offerings, not expecting the children to take such a keen interest in the off-worlders. Apparently, they'd never seen a species with long, blonde hair before, but there was a story of such a person in one of their fairy tales.

And so they had a small group of children follow them from a discreet distance to the reading spot they chose, but when Rose heard them giggling she had called them over and introduced herself. The next thing the Doctor knew, she had filled them in on the first three Harry Potter books (with some animated help from him, of course) and was instructing him to start reading book four aloud to them all. Interrupted only a few times by curious parents who apparently didn't consider them a threat (if only thanks to some slightly psychic paper), Rose and the Doctor took turns relating the tale to the youngsters who cuddled close and vied for positions on the readers' laps, until a bell rang in town which apparently signaled it was time to close the shops for the evening meal. As guardians came to collect their kids, Rose quickly summarized the rest of the book from her memory of the movie so they wouldn't be left wondering what had happened.

Finally alone. "You want to leave, too?" the Doctor asked.

Rose looked around, breathed in the cool, refreshing air, and said, "Maybe just one more chapter?"

He'd managed to save a few pieces of fruit; the rest of their picnic leftovers had been distributed to the children throughout the afternoon, with another run into the town to replenish. So after a quick snack to settle their gnawing stomachs, Rose took up the book again just as the Doctor saw her shiver. "Cold?" he asked.

"Just a bit." The sun was sitting lower in the sky.

"Here," he offered, removing his suit jacket and gesturing for her to come closer to where he reclined against the big, beautiful, shady tree, which was just as he'd promised and more lovely than she'd imagined.

She crawled towards him on the picnic blanket, turning in front of him between his bent knees, and allowed him to help her slip the jacket on and reach around her to tug it closed.

This was nothing new. While often tending to be rude, the Doctor knew how to be a gentlemen if he stopped long enough to realize the situation warranted it. Rose was grateful for the gesture and accepted it wordlessly.

What WAS new was the gentle pressure of his hands on her waist when she tried to move away. She turned her head questioningly, and he rubbed his hands along her arms as though in answer, warming her further while pulling her against him.

Yes, this was definitely new. At least in this body. In his other incarnation he'd had a few occasions to hold her, but since his regeneration it had been different, as though he wasn't yet comfortable in his own skin. Understandable, to be sure. And so for whatever else Rose was feeling as she gave in, settling herself between his legs, leaning back against his chest, she was encouraged that he had initiated the contact with such outward casualness.

"Mmmm," she hummed contentedly as she found their page, bending her knees towards her chest so she could rest the book on them, crossing her ankles. "You first, yeah?"

And so Rose held the book while he held her, his chin resting on her shoulder so that they were cheek-to-cheek, his arms curled around her, trapped against her abdomen. His voice was quiet next to her ear, and when he chuckled she could feel the vibrations in his chest.

When the chapter was finished, rather than indicating that she should continue to the next he reached up to close the book and set it aside. He straighened out his legs and she did the same, arching her back and extending her arms forward in a luxurious stretch before settling again, her hands covering his where they rested lightly above her hips.

"This was lovely," she told him, her body melting into his as he reclined further against the tree. "Thank you."

"Oh, nothing to thank ME for," he insisted cheekily. "I'm just the designated driver."

They were silent for awhile, enjoying the fresh air, enjoying their closeness. But when he turned his head toward hers and she felt his nose practically nuzzle behind her ear, she shivered again and when he suggested they should pack up before it got colder, she couldn't bring herself to stop him by admitting she was deliciously warm and her shiver had nothing to do with the temperature.

Once they were on their feet, the spell was broken. They joked and laughed as they folded the blanket and tucked it in the basket with the book.

It was quickest to walk back through the village to return to the TARDIS, and as they did so they encountered a few of the children they had spent the afternoon with, their excited voices attracting more. Apparently many of them had hoped that the visitors had not yet departed, had been busy and anxiously awaiting their guardians' blessings to leave the table so they could rush to find them again. That was when Rose had received the pictures and tokens which were now displayed in her room.

Now in the kitchen, she sat on the counter top and read to him while he put together their supper. And after they ate the Doctor had suggested they retire to her library, determined that they would finish the book before she went to sleep.

The TARDIS evidently concurred; the library was much closer to the kitchen then usual, the lighting dimmed, and the fireplace lit.

They began on opposite ends of the couch, as they always did. After his regeneration watching him read had been an excuse to get more comfortable with his new form, being able to stare without him questioning or teasing, tracing the lines of his face with her eyes, memorizing every feature.

She wasn't sure why he needed an excuse, but he always seemed to watch her with the same intensity as she read. Maybe she looked different to him; she sometimes felt as though she was being watched with new eyes, and not just in the literal sense.

With only two chapters left, it was finally he who made the move to close the gap between them. He handed her the book - it was her turn - and kicked off his shoes so he could stretch out, laying on his side facing the fire, his head in her lap. Rose shifted so her feet were on the floor, making him more comfortable. She balanced the book on the wide armrest, holding it open with one hand while the other played absently with his hair. Then she read until the story was over.

They were silent for a long time, absorbing what they'd heard and read, lulled by the heat of the flames dancing before them. Rose's touch became a little less absent as she scratched her fingers along his scalp and the back of his neck, something she knew he loved. The Doctor's eyes closed in contentment.

She almost would have believed he'd nodded off when suddenly he shifted onto his back and looked up at her. "So, really. Did you ever think about having kids?"

She rolled her eyes and smiled down at him. "Still on this, yeah? Well, truthfully, I never really gave it much thought. Always seemed like such hard work, taking care of a kid."

"But you're so good with them." He covered the hand that had come to rest on his chest with his own. "You seemed so happy today."

"I was having a picnic date with my best mate on a perfect spring day, with an tiny entourage who treated me like a fairy princess out of their favourite nursery rhymes. 'Course I was happy." Then she grinned, tongue in teeth. "Though I rather liked seeing you covered in kids, too." She yawned and squirmed, her leg pins and needles under his weight. "So, what do you have planned for after I wake up?"

"Oh, I don't know," he answered casually, taking the hint and rolling off the couch, offering her a hand and pulling her up as well. "What are you in the mood for?"

"Not sure. It's so hard to choose." She led him back to her room as she spoke, him in his socks as he carried his shoes in his hands. "I think somewhere... different. Like, proper strange."

"Like up is down, black is white, summer is cold and winter is hot kind of different?"

"I don't know. I just think it'd be fun to experience something truly outlandish!"

He poked her in the side. "I can't take you to Hogwart's, you know, if that's what you're looking for."

"What good are ya, then?" she admonished with a grin, stopping outside her bathroom. "Give me five minutes to get ready for bed."

It was closer to 15, but the Doctor was used to that. When she finally joined him he was laying on top of her bed, staring at the ceiling. "I think I may have just the place," he told her as she slipped under the covers. "'Proper strange' and outlandish, or so I've heard."

"Some planet on the edge of nowhere?"

"Earth, actually. Fancy a go at Woodstock?"

She laughed at his cleverness, and so did he. "Well, I wouldn't mind popping in, just to see what all the fuss was about." And so it was agreed.

The lights were out now, but he stayed with her awhile longer in the dark, and Rose could practically hear him thinking.

Finally: "Thanks, for before."

"What do you mean?"

"It was kind of you, to think of me the way you did. I shouldn't have laughed."

She knew immediately what he was referring to, and rather than beg off she remained quiet to see if there was anything else he wanted or needed to add.

There was, but apparently he wasn't going to share it. Not just then. "Well, I'd best leave you to it, then." And with that, he was on his feet, collecting his shoes and half way to the door.

"Hey, now, hadn't you best give me a proper tuck in? Good practice for if I do end up popping out a baby Time Lord or three," she said cheekily. "Since you barely sleep you'd be handling all the bedtimes, after all."

"A small price to pay for denying your mother nanny-duty. And I withdraw my sincere thanks, by the way, since you insist on your teasing. I'll know better for next time than to bother." But he was back at her bedside, adjusting her covers, brushing her hair aside and pressing his lips to her forehead. All forgiven, on both sides. "Sleep well, Rose."

Just as he was about to step into the hallway, she called out, "Doctor?"

"Yes, Rose?"

"I'm thirsty. Can you bring me some juice?"

He huffed and shook his head in mock exasperation. "Don't press your luck, young lady." And as the door clicked shut, he could hear her delighted laughter follow him.


	6. Trust (Part 1)

**CHARACTERS:** Rose/Ten  
**SETTING: **Takes place very close to "Army of Ghosts" (2x12).

**CHAPTER SUMMARY: **Trust takes many forms, and one of them is a lack of fanfare.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **The rest of this chapter is nearly complete, but I couldn't quite wait to share this bit. Also, while in terms of timeline we've nearly reached the end of their story, there are many "gaps" in the canon left to explore, so please "follow" to see more. Reviews are appreciated.

* * *

They were giddy. A new adventure in the making had begun right before their eyes. Well, Rose's eyes; the Doctor's back had been turned and despite his occasional assertions otherwise he apparently did NOT have eyes in the back of his head.

He hadn't meant for them to find an adventure. After nearly losing her yet again he was feeling a bit gun-shy and their last few stops had seen them little more than tourists. This stop was meant to be no different.

It really wasn't the Doctor's fault. And Rose wasn't about to lay blame; she was loving every minute of it.

Their investigation had led them into a bit of trouble, and they found themselves locked in a small, modern holding cell together, under suspicion and under guard. Since some fast talking or a sonic screwdriver could have resolved the predicament neither were worried, instead making the choice to use this opportunity to rest and regroup.

An hour after their initial incarceration, Rose had just been returned to the cell by a guard who'd taken her to the bathroom. The Doctor had already had his turn. Formal questioning was to commence in the morning, though they didn't plan to be there that long. It was night now, and in a few hours time they would stage their escape.

The cell was meant for one, but they'd insisted they be kept together and the guards couldn't be bothered to separate them.

The Doctor sat at the head of the tiny bed, the single pillow against the wall so he could slouch back against it, his feet dangling and his arms crossed over his chest. His jacket was folded on his lap where Rose rested her head. Quietly they rehearsed the facts, but Rose was growing increasingly frustrated. "I was looking right at it! I just didn't know what I was seeing until it was over, so I didn't think to really LOOK, you know?"

The Doctor had already failed to talk her down, so he thought it was time to posit an alternative. "There's a way I could help with that, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"It's this...trick I can do. A Time Lord thing."

She made a face. "Hold up, there, Mister. The last time you showed me a Time Lord trick, you pretty much exploded right in front of me and then were all "presto-chango" before you nearly crashed the TARDIS into Powell Estate. I think I've seen enough of your Time Lord "tricks", thank you very much."

"Fair enough." It definitely hadn't been his best moment. "What if I said it was more of a Time Lord ABILITY? Would that help?"

"Well, in THAT case..." she teased. "But alright, let's hear it, then."

"You may not have known that we Gallifreyans are a little... well, let's just say psychic, although that doesn't quite capture it." He tapped her forehead with his index finger. "If you want me to, I can poke about a bit and pull out the memories."

"What, like a Vulcan mind-meld or something?"

The Doctor groaned; he abhorred a Star Trek reference. "Nothing of the sort."

She sat up then, turned toward him, her legs crossed and her eyes shining. "Seriously, though. You can just... pop in and take a look around?"

"We-ell, something like that. There's quite a bit more to it -"

She apparently didn't care to know the specifics. "Well, do it then!"

He paused. "Really. Just like that."

"Well, why not?" she asked with a genuine smile.

He hesitated a moment longer, not in reluctance but struck dumb by the amount of unquestioning trust she had in him. With a quick shake of his head he snapped out of it and turned toward her. "Why not indeed." He tucked one foot under him and put the other by her hip, his leg bent over hers, so they were sitting quite close. Rose didn't bat an eye as she nudged even closer, one arm wrapping lightly around his bent knee, her other hand resting casually on his opposite thigh.

"So, what? Do I have to clear my mind or something?" She wasn't being sarcastic; she was eager to begin, always ready for a new experience.

"Since we know what we're looking for, you can try to focus on the event. Then I can be in and out in no time flat."

"Really. That easy."

"Should be." He squeezed the hand on his thigh. "Allons-y?"

"Allons-y!" she answered with a wide grin.

"Alright, then. Just relax." He watched her take a deep breath and let it out slowly, her grin fading as her mind shifted to a more serious state. "Think about what you saw, but don't push too hard. Let me do the work." He touched his fingers to her temples and his thumbs to her cheeks, and was about to close his eyes when he saw her smirking. "What?"

She couldn't help but tease; it was too easy. "You liar; this is TOTALLY a mind-meld."

"Oh, forget it then!" he huffed loudly with mock exasperation, whacking her with the pillow before settling it behind his head as he let himself fall back on the bed.

"What, you gonna pout?" Extracting herself, she laid next to him, giggling into his shoulder. "You're a right terrible Vulcan. What would Mr. Spock say?"

Apparently they'd become a little raucous because a guard pounded on the door then and told them to keep it down before plunging the room into darkness. The light coming in from the hall made it easy enough for their eyes to adjust.

"Do you want to do this or not?" he asked more quietly when she'd settled, turning toward her. It was a VERY small bed.

"Of course. I mean, it's not going to be a great effort, is it? Will there be side effects?"

"Well, most people would find it a bit intrusive."

"I'm not 'most people', am I?" she challenged with a smile.

"That, Rose Tyler, you certainly are not," he smiled back. "It is quite intimate, though."

"Well, yeah, I'd expect so, what with you being inside my brain and all. But that's not a bad thing."

His eyes widened, as did his grin. "You chattin' me up right now?" he asked cheekily in exaggerated Cockney punctuated by a suggestive eyebrow waggle.

"Wow, this conversation got away, didn't it!" she laughed, pushing at his chest. "You know what I mean."

He eyed her thoughtfully. "Do I?"

All at once the mood in the room seemed to take a turn. She examined him with unexacting dubiousness through narrowed eyes. "Really? You want to have this conversation now?"

And he examined her right back before finally answering lightly, "No time like the present, I always say."

"Funny," she returned wryly. "I've never heard you say that."

"We-ell, I've been meaning to start."

A long pause as he watched her eyes soften and her expression turn blithe but rather inscrutable.

"Okay." Another moment to collect her thoughts. "Well... I mean, look at us. Nose to nose, literally, and it's all business as usual, yeah? So I think we're already pretty intimate."

"Point accepted, however there's a big difference -"

"But it's all about trust, right?" she interrupted before he could finish. "And us... being like this... that's just, like, a symptom."

"Are you implying that trusting me is a disease?"

"Well, I'd think anyone with any sense at all couldn't come by it naturally, considering. You're a madman with a blue box."

"Oh, thanks for that. Truly."

"You know it and you love it." They shared a chuckle before she continued. "Anyway, I know you've got lots you keep to yourself. You've got a few hundred years on me, all kinds of stories and secrets. And the war... I get it. But I'm just... me. I don't have that kind of history. Anything important I've ever done, you were right there with me. So I don't have stories and secrets to hide. Just some things left unsaid, maybe."

"Like what?"

Leave it to the Doctor to ask such a question so casually. "Well, if I said them, they wouldn't be unsaid anymore, would they?" she commented slowly, affectionately patronizing. But the way he was looking at her, so open, so quietly expectant, allowed her to answer truthfully just as casually as he'd questioned. "There are some things that just don't HAVE to be said. You know I love you."

"Quite right to," he jested, unphazed. Because he did know.

"Exactly." She shrugged, as though to simply acknowledge it and move on was the most natural thing in the world. Because somehow, it was. "There you go: You know my last secret. So let's get on with it, then."

His smile was so sincere, his eyes looking at her with such affection. "As you like, Rose Tyler." Avoiding the posture that had been the cause of the previous false start, he lifted one hand to the side of her face, threading his hands through her hair and applying gentle pressure under her forehead came to rest against his, two sets of eyes fluttering closed. "Relax, and remember," he murmured.

He shouldn't have been surprised that the connection had been so easy to initiate. He chuckled when she exhaled sharply, her breath hot against his face. "You alright?" he asked, nudging her nose with his own.

"Yeah," she assured him quickly, too quickly. "It's just... it's a bit weird, isn't it?"

He hummed agreeably. "Just stay focused. It won't take a minute." And then he was there with her, back in the court yard, seeing his own face through her eyes and taking in the scene over his own shoulder. "And there it is."

She could see it now. "What is it, Doctor?"

His answer was automatic, and he was filled with regret when she gasped and physically recoiled, breaking the connection. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" But then he saw that her expression was nothing short of exhilarated.

"What in the hell!" she blurted. In a moment's time he had shared with her all he knew about the creature he had helped her to remember. Thankfully it wasn't much, because her mind was racing trying to process it all.

"Rose -"

"Shhh... Just, shut up." Her smile grew wider and wider as her brain sorted things out and pieced things together in a way she could follow. Finally her eyes focused and she beamed at him. "Blimey. That was..." She shook her head, at a complete loss for words. Then she grabbed him by his tie and pulled herself flush against him, head to toe, foreheads together and noses touching. "Can we do it again?"

He laughed gaily and rolled her half on top of him for a moment so he could properly wrap his arms around her in a tight embrace. "Later," he promised. "But don't you think we ought to take care of our new friend first?" And then he was on his feet, pulling his long coat out from under her and giving it a shake before shrugging it on and digging for his sonic screwdriver. He'd already unlocked the cell door before Rose had even sat up. He opened the door quietly and peeked out. "The coast is clear." As soon as she was vertical he grabbed her hand. "And, we're off!"

It was all Rose could do to contain her joy as she let him pull her down the hall.


End file.
